Article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system

ABSTRACT

An article ( 1 ) for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system is provided. The article comprises a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material ( 3 ) and a mouthpiece ( 2 ) at a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material. The column of aerosol generating material is wrapped in a wrapper ( 4 ). A component ( 5 ) is located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol generating material within the wrapper. A method for manufacturing an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system is also disclosed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Smoking article such as cigarettes, cigars and the like burn tobacco during use to create tobacco smoke. Alternative smoking articles produce an inhalable aerosol or vapour by releasing compounds from a substrate material without burning. These articles may be referred to as non-combustible smoking article or aerosol provision systems. Such articles commonly include a mouthpiece through which the aerosol passes to reach the users mouth.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece at a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material and the mouthpiece being wrapped in a wrapper; and a component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol generating material within the wrapper.

Preferably, the component may comprise a gathered sheet of material.

Optionally, the gathered sheet may be made of paper.

The component may comprise a material formed from an amorphous solid.

The amorphous solid may comprise elongate strips.

The elongate strips may be substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the article.

The amorphous solid may be laminated on a supporting substrate.

Preferably, the supporting substrate may be paper or foil.

The amorphous solid may be crimped.

The amorphous solid may comprise a flavourant.

Preferably, the amorphous solid may comprise a gelling agent.

Optionally, the gelling agent may be one of pectin, gelatin, polysaccharide or carageenan.

The mouthpiece may comprise a body of material.

Preferably, the body of material may comprise an amorphous solid.

Optionally, the amorphous solid forming the component may be the same as the amorphous solid forming the body.

The article may also comprise a second component located in the wrapper between the aerosol generating material and the mouthpiece.

Preferably, the second component may be the same as the component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material.

Preferably, the aerosol-generating material comprises tobacco beads.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, comprising providing a column of aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece at a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material and the mouthpiece being wrapped in a wrapper; and locating a component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol generating material within the wrapper.

The component may comprise a material formed from an amorphous solid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an article according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates an article according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates an article according to a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the figures described herein, like reference numerals are used to illustrate equivalent features, articles or components.

FIG. 1 is a side-on view of an article 1 for use with a non-combustible aerosol provision device. As shown in FIG. 1 , the article 1 comprises a column of aerosol-generating material 3 and a mouthpiece 2 located at a first end of the column of aerosol generating material 3. The column of aerosol-generating material 3 is wrapped in a wrapper 4 and is connected to the mouthpiece 2 with tipping paper 8. The article 1 further comprises a component 5 located within the wrapper 4 at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material 3 to retain the aerosol-generating material 3 within the wrapper 4. The component 5 may be retained within the wrapper 4 due to friction between the component 5 and the wrapper 4, or it may be otherwise attached to the wrapper 4 with adhesive.

The column of aerosol-generating material 3 may be in the form of tobacco beads. The component 5 is designed and located within the wrapper 4 to maintain the column of aerosol-generating material 3, such as tobacco beads, within the wrapper 4 by blocking or closing the end of the wrapper 4.

The component 5 may comprise a gathered sheet of material, such as a fibrous material, for example paper, which can be inserted into the end of the wrapper 4 to close the end of the wrapper 4. The component 5 may be formed from a non-polymer material. Additionally the component 5 may be biodegradable. The component may be formed from acetate or similar material, such as cellulose acetate, or include such material or materials as part of their constituents. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 , the aerosol-generating material 3 is flanked by the mouthpiece 2 and the component 5. Therefore, the aerosol-generating material 3 is securely held in place within the article 1 by the component 5 at one end, and the mouthpiece 2 at the other.

The component 5 may comprise an amorphous solid material. The component 5 may be formed from a single gathered sheet of amorphous solid material. Alternatively the sheet of amorphous solid material may be cut into strips which can be substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the article.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid may be a dried gel. The amorphous solid is a solid material that may retain some fluid, such as liquid, within it. The amorphous solid material may be present on or in a support, to form a substrate. The amorphous solid may be laminated on a supporting substrate. The support may, for example, be or comprise paper, card, paperboard, cardboard, reconstituted material, a plastics material, a ceramic material, a composite material, glass, a foil, a metal, or a metal alloy.

The amorphous solid material is a sheet, optionally in gathered, wound or coiled form. In some cases, the sheet may be incorporated into the article in sheet form. In other cases, the sheet may be shredded and then incorporated into the article. The amorphous solid may also be crimped.

In some examples, the amorphous solid in sheet form may have a tensile strength of from around 200 N/m to around goo N/m. In some examples, such as where the amorphous solid does not comprise a filler, the amorphous solid may have a tensile strength of from 200 N/m to 400 N/m, or 200 N/m to 300 N/m, or about 250 N/m.

In some examples, such as where the amorphous solid comprises a filler, the amorphous solid may have a tensile strength of from 600 N/m to 2600 N/m, or from 700 N/m to goo N/m, or around 800 N/m. Such tensile strengths may be particularly suitable for embodiments wherein the amorphous solid material is included in an aerosol generating article/assembly as a rolled sheet, suitably in the form of a tube.

In some cases, the amorphous solid layer may have a thickness of about 0.015 mm to about 1.5 mm, suitably about 0.05 mm to about 1.5 mm or 0.05 mm to about 1.0 mm. Suitably, the thickness may be in the range of about 0.1 mm or 0.15 mm to about 1 mm, 0.5 mm or 0.3 mm. The amorphous solid may comprise more than one layer, and the thickness described herein refers to the aggregate thickness of those layers.

The thickness stipulated herein is a mean thickness for the material. In some cases, the amorphous solid thickness may vary by no more than 25%, 20%, 15%, 10%, 5% or 1%.

In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-60 wt % of a gelling agent wherein these weights are calculated on a dry weight basis.

Suitably, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 1 wt %, 5 wt %, 10 wt %, 15 wt %, 20 wt % or 25 wt % to about 60 wt %, 50 wt %, 45 wt %, 40 wt %, 35 wt %, 30 wt % or 27 wt % of a gelling agent (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-50 wt %, 5-40 wt %, 10-30 wt % or 15-27 wt % of a gelling agent.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises a hydrocolloid. In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more compounds selected from the group comprising alginates, pectins, starches (and derivatives), celluloses (and derivatives), gums, silica or silicones compounds, clays, polyvinyl alcohol and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises one or more of alginates, pectins, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, pullulan, xanthan gum guar gum, carrageenan, agarose, acacia gum, fumed silica, PDMS, sodium silicate, kaolin and polyvinyl alcohol. In some cases, the gelling agent comprises alginate and/or pectin, and may be combined with a setting agent (such as a calcium source) during formation of the amorphous solid. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise a calcium-crosslinked alginate and/or a calcium-crosslinked pectin.

In some embodiments, the gelling agent comprises alginate, and the alginate is present in the amorphous solid in an amount of from 10-30 wt % of the amorphous solid (calculated on a dry weight basis). In some embodiments, alginate is the only gelling agent present in the amorphous solid. In other embodiments, the gelling agent comprises alginate and at least one further gelling agent, such as pectin.

In some embodiments the amorphous solid may include gelling agent comprising carrageenan.

The amorphous solid may comprise a flavour (also referred to herein as a “flavourant”). In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise up to about 80 wt %, 70 wt %, 60 wt %, 55 wt %, 50 wt % or 45 wt % of a flavour. In some cases, the amorphous solid may comprise at least about 0.1 wt %, 1 wt %, 10 wt %, 20 wt %, 30 wt %, 35 wt % or 40 wt % of a flavour (all calculated on a dry weight basis). For example, the amorphous solid may comprise 1-80 wt %, 10-80 wt %, 20-70 wt %, 30-60 wt %, 35-55 wt % or 30-45 wt % of a flavour. In some cases, the flavour comprises, consists essentially of or consists of menthol.

In some cases, the amorphous solid may additionally comprise an emulsifying agent, which emulsified molten flavour during manufacture. For example, the amorphous solid may comprise from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of an emulsifying agent (calculated on a dry weight basis), suitably about 10 wt %. The emulsifying agent may comprise acacia gum.

In some embodiments, the amorphous solid is a hydrogel and comprises less than about 20 wt % of water calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may comprise less than about 15 wt %, 12 wt % or 10 wt % of water calculated on a wet weight basis. In some cases, the hydrogel may comprise at least about 1 wt %, 2 wt % or at least about 5 wt % of water (WWB).

FIG. 2 shows a side-on view of an article 1 according to a second embodiment of the invention for use in an aerosol provision system. In this embodiment, the article further comprises a second component 6 within the wrapper 4 located between the mouthpiece 2 and the column of aerosol-generating material 3. The aerosol-generating material 3 is held in place within the article 1 by the component 5 and the second component 6. In articles for use in an aerosol provision system, a common issue is the temperature of the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece of the article can become hot and can therefore cause discomfort to a user when the mouthpiece is placed within the lips of a user. By inserting the second component 6 between the column of aerosol-generating material 3 and the mouthpiece 2, the mouthpiece is spaced from the column of aerosol-generating material 3. This spacing causes the temperature of the mouthpiece to be reduced and therefore there is no discomfort to a user. This arrangement also allows the column of aerosol-generating material 3 to be maintained within the article 1 by the component 5 and the second component 6.

The second component 6 may comprise a gathered sheet of material, such as a fibrous material, for example paper. The second component 6 may also comprise an amorphous solid material. Additionally, the second component 6 may be identical to the component 5 located at the opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material 3.

FIG. 3 illustrates an article 1 according to a third embodiment of the invention for use in an aerosol provision system. The mouthpiece 2 of the article 1 comprises a body of material 7. The body of material 7 may comprise an amorphous solid material. The amorphous solid material in the mouthpiece 2 may be the same amorphous solid material within the component 5 or second component 6. The inventors have found that providing a body of amorphous solid material in the mouthpiece 2 advantageously provides a cooling effect to the aerosol as it is drawn through the mouthpiece in use. Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is hypothesised that heat transferred to the amorphous solid material from the aerosol as it passes through the body 7, in use, aerosolises components of the amorphous solid material, resulting in cooling of the aerosol, and advantageously, the ability to simultaneously modify the flavour of the aerosol passing through the mouthpiece 2, if desired. This arrangement can reduce a known problem with smoking articles where an aerosol is too warm when it reaches a consumer's lips, and also provide a means for adding additional flavour to an aerosol, without increasing manufacturing complexity.

A method of manufacturing an article according to the embodiments described above is also envisaged. The method comprises providing a column of aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece and a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material. The aerosol-generating material can then be wrapped in a wrapper and connected to the mouthpiece using tipping paper. The method further comprises locating a component at an opposite end of the aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol-generating material within the wrapper. The component may comprise a material formed from an amorphous solid.

The various embodiments described herein are presented only to assist in understanding and teaching the claimed features. These embodiments are provided as a representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive and/or exclusive. It is to be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples, functions, features, structures, and/or other aspects described herein are not to be considered limitations on the scope of the invention as defined by the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims, and that other embodiments may be utilised and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed invention. Various embodiments of the invention may suitably comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, appropriate combinations of the disclosed elements, components, features, parts, steps, means, etc, other than those specifically described herein. In addition, this disclosure may include other inventions not presently claimed, but which may be claimed in future. 

1. An article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system, the article comprising: a rod comprising a column of aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece at a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material being wrapped in a wrapper; and a component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol generating material within the wrapper.
 2. An article according to claim 2, wherein the component comprises a gathered sheet of material.
 3. An article according to claim 2, wherein the gathered sheet is made of a fibrous material such as paper.
 4. An article according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the component comprises a material formed from an amorphous solid.
 5. An article according to claim 4, wherein the amorphous solid comprises elongate strips.
 6. An article according to claim 5, wherein the elongate strips are substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the article.
 7. An article according to any of claims 4 to 6, wherein the amorphous solid is laminated on a supporting substrate.
 8. An article according to claim 7, wherein the supporting substrate is paper or foil.
 9. An article according to any of claims 4 to 7, wherein the amorphous solid is crimped.
 10. An article according to any of claims 4 to 9, wherein the amorphous solid comprises a flavourant.
 11. An article according to any of claims 4 to 10, wherein the amorphous solid comprises a gelling agent.
 12. An article according to claim 11, wherein the gelling agent is one of pectin, gelatin, polysaccharide or carageenan.
 13. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the mouthpiece comprises a body of material.
 14. An article according to claim 13, wherein the body of material comprises an amorphous solid.
 15. An article according to claim 14, when dependent on claim 4, wherein the amorphous solid forming the component is the same as the amorphous solid forming the body.
 16. An article according to any preceding claim, comprising a second component located in the wrapper between the aerosol generating material and the mouthpiece.
 17. An article according to claim 16, wherein the second component is the same as the component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material.
 18. An article according to any preceding claim, wherein the aerosol-generating material comprises tobacco beads.
 19. A method for manufacturing an article for use in a non-combustible aerosol provision system according to claims 1 to 18, comprising: providing a column of aerosol-generating material and a mouthpiece at a first end of the column of aerosol-generating material, the column of aerosol generating material being wrapped in a wrapper; and locating a component located within the wrapper at an opposite end of the column of aerosol-generating material to retain the aerosol generating material within the wrapper.
 20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the component comprises a material formed from an amorphous solid. 